1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processor, an information recording medium, an information processing method, and a computer program, and more particularly to a copyright management using the above-mentioned information processor and the like.
2. Related Background Art
Digital high-definition broadcasting has started, and high-definition compatible television receivers and players have started to gain in popularity. It can be expected accordingly that high-definition broadcast contents and video contents will be mainly distributed in the future.
While distribution of high-definition contents is expanding, a standard-definition player frequently used at present inhibits watching of high-definition contents because of lack of its processing capacity. To use the high-definition contents with the standard-definition player, the high-definition contents must be converted into standard-definition contents. However, permission of the conversion process without any restrictions will lead to copyright infringement of contents such as illegal duplication.
JP 2000-10778 A discloses a method to solve the problem. According to the method of JP 2000-10778 A, copyright condition data and copyright history data are generated to enable generation of a royalty on each of first-order, second-order, . . . and an nth-order changes of digital contents. By circulating the changed digital contents together with a change license user condition statement which incorporates the copyright condition data and the copyright history data, royalties on the changed digital contents are managed.